


The Unintended Consequences of Banishing Your Bride

by VotePleaseForTheLoveOfGodVote



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Banishment, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Exile, Gen, Merlin is DONE with Arthur’s stupidity, Merlin misses Gwen, One Shot, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24170368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VotePleaseForTheLoveOfGodVote/pseuds/VotePleaseForTheLoveOfGodVote
Summary: Merlin knew it was only a matter of time before Agravaine pressured Arthur into marriage so he had to act quickly. Unfortunately, he was screamed at any time he so much as mentioned Gwen in passing.Something had to give - and soon - otherwise, Arthur might close his heart to love and trust forever. Merlin needed Gwen, Arthur needed Gwen, and Camelot needed Gwen.So what the hell was the hold up?OrMerlin misses his friend and is done with Arthur’s bullshit.
Relationships: Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 96





	The Unintended Consequences of Banishing Your Bride

“Merlin!”

At the sound of someone calling his name, Merlin turned around. The voice was familiar and for half a second he thought it was Gwen. It was Sefa, a serving girl he thought was good company and very nice, but at that moment he had no desire to see - he only wanted to see Gwen. These days, that was all he really wanted and it hurt to think about her. 

“Hi Sefa,” he greeted, putting on a fake smile. “How are you this morning?”

She came to a stop next to him. Merlin saw she was holding a bouquet of wildflowers she must have picked earlier that morning. His heart twinged.

“Hi Merlin. I’m all right. Are you okay? You seem flustered.”

“What? No, I’m fine, just lost in thought.”

“All right…” Sefa replied, looking skeptical. 

“Seriously, I am.”

“Okay. Well, here.” She plucked a flower out of the bouquet. “Maybe this can brighten your day a little bit.” 

Sefa tucked the flower into his scarf and he suddenly wanted to cry. Without waiting for him to respond, she kissed him on the cheek and walked away.

“Bye, Merlin!”

“Oh. Okay, bye,” he called back quietly, not really paying attention. 

The flower was the same shade of purple that the one Gwen had given to him all those years ago was. Sefa had even put it in the same spot Merlin had put his. 

He felt a little shaky and almost dropped the basket of laundry he was holding. That reminded him that he needed to get back to his chores for Arthur. 

Arthur. This was his fault. He was the reason one of the only things in life that made Merlin happy was gone.

As soon as he had the thought he felt guilty. Arthur had felt betrayed and had been in a lot of pain - he still was, in fact. And it was wrong of him to reduce Gwen’s value to just something that made Merlin happy; she was so much more than that. 

Gwen was the kindest, most caring, and most thoughtful person Merlin had ever known. The only person who even came close was his mother. The one thing that got Merlin through this was that he knew she had Hunith. His mother would take care of Gwen until he could convince Arthur to bring her back to Camelot.

Thinking of her, Merlin pushed down the lump in his throat and carried on with his morning routine. He focused on his tasks and tried to interact with the other servants more than he usually would. But without the distraction of someone to talk to as he walked towards Arthur’s chambers, Merlin’s mind inevitably wandered back to Gwen. 

He missed her so much. Ever since Arthur had banished her he had felt so alone. She was his best friend (Arthur notwithstanding) and the days were long and boring without her company. 

In the end, Arthur had learned what had truly happened: that Lancelot hadn’t actually been Lancelot and that Gwen’s bracelet was enchanted to attract her to him. Still though, Arthur felt betrayed. He thought that even if Gwen was given a false sense of attraction to him, she should have controlled herself. Merlin was not entirely sure that that was fair to Gwen, but he understood that the king was particularly sensitive to betrayal.

He couldn’t blame him. Arthur had been crossed several times over the years by people he loved. Morgana first and foremost, of course, but his father too. When Arthur found out the lies he had been told by his father about his mother, it opened a wound Merlin wasn’t sure would ever heal. And then Merlin had had to lie about that (an event that still haunted him). Arthur’s relationship with his father had never exactly been traditional, but it was never the same after that - it never fully recovered. Even if Arthur thought that the truth was a lie, Uther had still been dishonest with him. 

Merlin was not looking forward to the day he found out about Agravaine’s betrayal. The sooner the better, to be sure, in the sense of what needed to be done, but he was dreading the look on Arthur’s face when he realized that the last member of his family had betrayed him. 

Arthur needed someone like Gwen. The problem was that there  _ was  _ no one like Gwen; that person did not exist. Gwen was unique and Arthur needed her to be there for him and to keep him in check. He needed to listen to somebody. Despite the fact that they had been friends for so long, it felt like Arthur was listening to Merlin less and less recently.

It made  _ some _ sense. After all, Arthur was king now and he probably wanted to rely on himself more and be independent. Personally, Merlin thought (and knew that deep down Arthur did too) that a king needed to have people he could trust and confide in; he needed people to give him advice and they needed to be people he would listen to. 

The man for the job, Arthur had apparently decided, was Agravaine. He had made the conscious decision to trust an uncle whom he barely knew and who showed up at the exact moment Uther became incapacitated more than he trusted Merlin. He knew that Arthur felt the need to be connected to his blood family but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

He had always listened to Gwen though. On several occasions when Arthur was refusing to listen to him, Merlin had asked Gwen to repeat what he had already said to the king and only then would he listen. Besides, she was smart and savvy and better equipped to be queen than any of the suitors Arthur was forced to be with before her. 

Merlin knew it was only a matter of time before Agravaine pressured Arthur into marriage so he had to act quickly. Unfortunately, he was screamed at any time he so much as mentioned Gwen in passing. 

Something had to give - and soon - otherwise, Arthur might close his heart to love and trust forever. Merlin needed Gwen, Arthur needed Gwen, and Camelot needed Gwen.

So what the hell was the hold up?

  
  


“You ever say anything like that again and I swear you’ll join her in exile forever.” 

Arthur’s words rang in his ears for hours after he heard them. How could he say that? How could Merlin mean so little to him that he would dismiss him so easily? He had only pointed out the obvious: that Arthur was still in love with Gwen. 

It would be unfair of him to marry Mithian; not just to her but to all three of them - Arthur, Gwen, and Mithian. He was setting himself up for a loveless marriage. Merlin had never met her and it was possible that Mithian was a wonderful woman; it didn’t matter. Arthur loved Gwen and that was that. 

Arthur pretended like the conversation had never taken place but Merlin had been cold and passive aggressive all day. It was night now, and Merlin was starting a fire in the king’s chambers. Arthur was sitting at his desk halfheartedly reading through documents when Merlin heard him put his quill down and sigh. 

“Why are you acting like that?”

Merlin turned around and glared. 

“Like what?”

“Like someone’s just stolen your favorite neckerchief.”

“I’m not.”

“You are, actually. Out with it then,” Arthur ordered. He sat back in his chair. Merlin turned to the fireplace.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Merlin! Just tell me what it is so I can get you to stop moping like a girl.” 

Merlin dropped the flint and stood up. He started for the door. 

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“To sleep.”

“I haven’t dismissed you.” 

“Well, I’m done for the night. There are servants around at all hours and I don’t know why you need  _ me  _ for every menial task.”

“You don’t get to leave before I dismiss you.”

“Then dismiss me.”

“No.”

Fuck it. 

“All right, maybe I should mention that you love Gwen then, hmm? Get myself dismissed?”

Arthur shot up out of his seat. 

“What the hell did you just say?”

“You heard me,” Merlin replied, standing his ground. His arms were crossed and he was pretending like he wasn’t nervous.

“You have no right to say anything like that! I already warned you!”

“So I’m banished then, is that it?”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s what you said this afternoon. You said that if I said anything like what I said ever again you’d exile me.”

“I-”

“Do it then, my lord. Exile me and I’ll go live with Gwen instead.”

Arthur slammed his open hand down on the desk. 

“Stop it! Stop being purposely obstinate and trying to incite me!”

“What, so you’re not going to banish me then?” Merlin spat. 

“Of course I’m not going to banish you, idiot!” 

“Why not?” 

“Because you haven’t don’t something that makes you worth banishing! Because you’re my friend!”

“So was she!” Merlin yelled. 

There was silence for a moment as both of them tried to process what was happening. Merlin couldn’t tell whether Arthur was about to cry or scream. He sincerely hoped it would be the first. Merlin hadn’t once seen Arthur cry since the night Gwen had left and it was unhealthy. He was repressing his emotions and he was bound to explode. Maybe this was going to be that explosion. 

Finally, Arthur collapsed back into his chair and Merlin softened. The king looked at him, eyes filled with unreadable emotion. 

“So was she,” Merlin repeated. 

Arthur didn’t say anything, just sat there silently. Normally, this was the point where Merlin made him talk and feel better but he was done. All of Arthur’s anger and anxiety over the past few months had been taken out on him. Yes, he was used to it, but it was rarely this bad. He was done being yelled at and snapped at and blamed and having things thrown at him and expected to never sleep and constantly worried. He just needed one night to be angry and tomorrow he would go back to doing what Arthur needed, but for now he couldn’t. Merlin was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and he really could not handle the intricacy that the delicate situation required while he was in this state.

“When you banished her it was a punishment for me too. You’re lonely right now and I get that, but so am I.”

Tomorrow, he could go back to being a punching bag. Tonight, he would go to his room, ignore everything and everybody, and go to bed. He might take some time to cry first or maybe yell into his pillow. Maybe he would sneak into the armory and punch one of the training dummies until he couldn’t feel his fists anymore, or maybe he would ride out to an empty field and let his magic loose. The one thing he knew for sure was that he wasn’t staying here.

“Good night, sire.”

He didn’t bother to wait for a response. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you thought!


End file.
